Pretty Polly- Becky F. Jones (NC) 1938 Carpenter
[My title from the first line, replacing the generic titles. From the James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/7/1/C, pp. 10639-10642. The stanzas are not in the correct order and the action is confusing. This US version, titled the generic titles Fause Sir John (Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight) by Carpenter uses the Lord Lovel form.
R. Matteson 2018]
O what's the matter, my Pretty Polly- sung by Mrs Becky F. Jones of Route 1, box 122 of Cary, NC, c. 1939
"O what's the matter, my pretty Polly,
That you sing so loud before it's day?"
You've come riding your father's best grey nag,
And a-leading of the tabby grey, grey, grey,
And a-leading of the tabby grey.
CHORUS: "O hush, hush pretty parrot bird,
Pray don't tell no tales on me,
For your cage shall be lined with the brightest leaves of gold,
Swing on the green willow tree, tree,
And swing on the green willow tree."
"O what's the matter, my pretty Polly,
That you sing so loud before it's day?
There comes a cat all to my window,
Caused Polly for to drive him away, away,
Caused Polly for to drive him away."
CHORUS
"O hold your hands, my pretty Polly,
O hold your hands to me,
For my body will be drowned in the cold water deep
And sink to the bottom of the sea, sea,
And sink to the bottom of the sea."
"Lie there, lie there you false lying villyan!
Lie there in the room of me,
For here you have drowned six kings daughters,
And you are the seven one shall be, be,
And you are the seven one shall be."
CHORUS
So she mounted her father's best grey nag,
Leading of the tabby grey,
She rode to her father's stable door,
Three long hours before it was day, day,
Three long hours before it was day.
"O what is the matter, my pretty Polly,
That you ride so long before it is day?
You come riding into your father's stable door,
Three long hours before it was day, day,
Three long hours before it was day."
CHORUS